Flame out candle system and method

Abstract

A flame out candle system and method for automatically retracting and extinguishing a wick flame. The system includes a candle, a wick, and a puck assembly. The candle includes a bore to receive the wick, and a cavity to receive the puck assembly. The puck assembly can include a motor driven power screw or spur gears associated with spaced apart pinion gears. The puck assembly is removable from the candle for reuse in another candle. A wick engaging member can be operatively associated with the power screw for linear movement that is transferred to the wick. The pinion gears can be engageable with a rack gear positioned therebetween so rotation of the pinion gears translates into linear motion of the wick. A computer system can be utilized to control the motor based on a time signal, an activation signal, a sensor signal or any wireless signal.

What is claimed as being new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows: 
     
         1 . A flame out candle system for moving a wick into a wax candle body, the flame out candle system comprising a puck assembly associated with the wax candle body, the puck assembly including a motor operatively engageable with a wick engaging member that is operatively engageable with the wick to provide movement of the wick within a wick bore defined along a longitudinal axis of the wax candle body. 
     
     
         2 . The flame out candle system according to  claim 1 , wherein the puck assembly further comprising:
 a puck body receivable in a cavity defined in the wax candle body; and   a base assembly attachable to the puck body and configured to support the motor.   
     
     
         3 . The flame out candle system according to  claim 2 , wherein the motor is operatively associated with one selected from the group consisting of a gear, and a power screw. 
     
     
         4 . The flame out candle system according to  claim 2 , wherein the wick engaging member is configured to be driven by the motor and to provide linear movement to the wick within the wick bore. 
     
     
         5 . The flame out candle system according to  claim 4 , wherein the wick engaging member includes a thread member that is operatively engaged with a power screw that is operatively driven by the motor. 
     
     
         6 . The flame out candle system according to  claim 5 , wherein the wick engaging member is slidably received in a bore defined through a guide member of the puck body. 
     
     
         7 . The flame out candle system according to  claim 6 , wherein the wick engaging member further includes one or more guides extending out therefrom that are each configured to be slidably received in a channel defined in the guide member and in communication with the bore. 
     
     
         8 . The flame out candle system according to  claim 7 , wherein the wick engaging member includes a magnetic that is operatively engageable with a wick plate of the wick. 
     
     
         9 . The flame out candle system according to  claim 2 , wherein the puck assembly further comprises a candle holder that is receivable in the cavity of the wax candle body and that is configured to receive an insert section of the puck body with a base section of the puck body supporting a bottom portion of the wax candle body. 
     
     
         10 . The flame out candle system according to  claim 9 , wherein the candle holder and the insert section include corresponding engageable elements configured to secure the puck body to the candle holder when the insert section is inserted a predetermined distance into the candle holder. 
     
     
         11 . The flame out candle system according to  claim 1  further comprising a computer or controller system configured or configurable to control the motor based on any one of or any combination of a time signal, an activation signal and a sensor signal. 
     
     
         12 . The flame out candle system according to  claim 11 , wherein the computer or controller system being configured or configurable to control the motor based on a sensor selected from the group consisting of a tilt sensor, an angle sensor, and a heat sensor. 
     
     
         13 . A flame out candle system comprising:
 a puck body receivable in a cavity defined in a wax candle body, the puck body including a guide member, and a bore defined through the guide member;   a wick engaging member slidably receivable in the bore of the guide member, the wick engaging member being operatively engageable with a wick; and   a base assembly attachable to the puck body, the base assembly including a motor operatively engageable with the wick engaging member to provide linear movement of the wick engaging member that provides movement of the wick within a wick bore defined along a longitudinal axis of the wax candle body.   
     
     
         14 . The flame out candle system according to  claim 13 , wherein the wick engaging member includes a thread member that is operatively engaged with a power screw that is operatively driven by the motor. 
     
     
         15 . The flame out candle system according to  claim 14 , wherein the wick engaging member further includes one or more guides extending out therefrom that are each configured to be slidably received in a channel defined in the guide member and in communication with the bore. 
     
     
         16 . The flame out candle system according to  claim 15 , wherein the wick engaging member includes a magnetic that is operatively engageable with a wick plate of the wick. 
     
     
         17 . The flame out candle system according to  claim 13  further comprises a candle holder that is receivable in the cavity of the wax candle body and that is configured to receive an insert section of the puck body with a base section of the puck body supporting a bottom portion of the wax candle body. 
     
     
         18 . The flame out candle system according to  claim 13  further comprising a computer or controller system configured or configurable to control the motor based on any one of or any combination of a time signal, an activation signal and a sensor signal, wherein the computer or controller system being configured or configurable to control the motor based on a sensor selected from the group consisting of a tilt sensor, an angle sensor, and a heat sensor. 
     
     
         19 . A flame out candle system comprising:
 a wax candle body including a wick bore defined along a longitudinal axis of the wax candle body, and a bottom cavity defined in a bottom section of the wax candle body and in communication with the wick bore;   a wick configured to be slidably receivable through the wick bore, the wick can include a wick plate associated with the wick;   a puck body receivable in the bottom cavity of the wax candle body, the puck body including a guide member, and a bore defined through the guide member;   a wick engaging member slidably receivable in the bore of the guide member, the wick engaging member being operatively engageable with the wick plate;   a base assembly attachable to the puck body, the base assembly being configured to support a motor, the motor being operatively engageable with the wick engaging member to provide linear movement of the wick engaging member that provides movement of the wick within the wax candle body; and   a computer or controller system configured or configurable to control the motor based on one of or any combination of a time signal, an activation signal, a sensor signal, a voice command, a wireless activation signal, and a networked activation signal.   
     
     
         20 . The flame out candle system according to  claim 19  further comprises a candle holder that is receivable in the bottom cavity of the wax candle body and that is configured to receive an insert section of the puck body with a base section of the puck body supporting a bottom portion of the wax candle body, and wherein the wick engaging member includes a thread member that is operatively engaged with a power screw that is operatively driven by the motor.